While it’s highly irregular/quite expected from DeChambeau, the powers that be aren’t certain of the legality of compass use.

“They said we just want to let you know we’re investigating this device and seeing if it’s allowable or not,” DeChambeau said.

The SMU alum also threw this bit of shade at the Tour: “People are saying it’s an unusual device, that’s at least what the tour’s saying… It’s funny people take notice when you start playing well.”

Let’s press pause here for a second to address the elephant in the room: What the heck was Bryson doing with the compass-and-yardage-book routine.

Here’s what he told reporters

“Figuring out true pin locations. The pin locations are a little bit off every once in a while, so I’m making sure they’re in the exact right spot.”

True pin locations. Is that like true gravity? Anyway, DeChambeau has reportedly been using the device since 2016… How is this the first we’re seeing of it? Does he only bust out the compass when he suspects

Talked to Bryson about the compass. Said he's been using it for almost 2 years but people are only now noticing. Uses it to determine "true pin locations." Expects a ruling from Tour in next week about whether he can keep using it in competition.

It also wasn’t the first time DeChambeau has used the device, he said, noting that he’d been doing so since the 2016 PGA Tour stop in Las Vegas. Reportedly, the Tour’s investigation concerns whether the compass is an “allowable” device (per Will Gray).

What do you think, GolfWRX members? Rules junkies: Is Bryson in violation? Mathematically inclined/cartographers: Is the technique an asset in cases of “untrue” pins?

20 Comments

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Jun 26, 2018 at 12:07 pm

Perhaps his AimPoint green charts show N-arrow to orient the charts… so Bryson is just aligning the charts to the green topography. However I think it’s a lot more sinister… he’s tracking the earth’s geomagnetic lines to determine how the ball may break due to planetary influences.. 😮

What ever it takes…. Pros have to shoot under par most rounds to make a living…those under par rounds also make money for the PGA Tour, the equipment companies and all the other companies paying for commercials each week. Not surprising to see any player trying to find an edge for his/her game.

He should do his homework the night before the tournament when they announce the next day’s pin placement. By the way, don’t some tournaments have the next day’s hole location marked? I’ve seen reports of caddies doing their homework on Friday’s greens for Saturday when they see the location marked.

I love this guy and the way he is taking his own unique approach to tournament golf. If I had said 5 years ago all the stuff he was doing would work and he’d be winning tournaments and in contention nearly every week I would have been laughed out of the clubhouse. He’s my new favourite golfer!!

Well said! Next, they might say that flatulating adds an unfair wind advantage. It’s not hurting the integrity of the game and the kool-aid rule aficionados need to find something else to go after since they are apparently bored. As well as the armchair rules officials. Sniffing glue also comes to mind!

and in other news,,,both the PGA Tour and the USGA will begin investigating the relative thickness of player’s socks. “We don’t want anyone to feel too comfortable and therefore gain an unfair advantage.”

The Tour would try to ban his hat if there weren’t so many pictures of Hogan wearing one.

A compass? How is that an “unusual device”? It determines direction, right? Why wouldn’t a player be entitled to know that? Or is it a GPS that gives coordinates? That should be okay, given all the Garmin watches for sale. (True, the Tour prevents players from using GPS devices to measure distances.)

When Bryson wanted to putt side-saddle, the USGA ruled his putter non-conforming, but would not commit as to WHY it was non-conforming. They just didn’t like looking at him making putts like that, so they got rid of it.

The Tour and the USGA. Can any sports organization be as backwards as these two? (Yes, I’m looking at you, R&A….)

Only question the PGA has to answer is this: Does it give him an advantage against his fellow competitor. And the answer is an easy and resounding no. If you allow for yardage books, pin sheets, and green books, you have to allow for accurate measurement of those books to be taken into consideration. If you provide, at all, a graphic that gives an “accurate” distance analog, then you must allow for a player to render their judgement of how accurate that distance is. It’s no different then when Jack Nicklaus began stepping off yardages to get more accurate distances from either 100-150-200 yard markers or sprinkler heads that had measurements. Or if a European player who is not used to Imperial, to have a way to calculate the equivalency into metric. It’s not gaining an unfair advantage in any way.

I mean, seriously,they are going to let guys use rangefinders in 2019…and they are going to argue against a device that has been around for 1000’s of years.

The PGA seems to hate Bryson DeChambeau, and they are probably going totally bonkers that the “Mad Scientist” has been so consistently good this season. I’m sure they will rule the compass is not an “allowed device” simply because Bryson is probably the only golfer on tour who could gain any possible advantage from using it.

If Bryson tried to use an Abacus, they would probably ban that as well…

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Peter Kessler lashed out at anyone and everyone on Twitter

With 140K followers on Twitter and a website as well, No Laying Up have become one of the most popular accounts in the golfing world. However, when the group plugged the second season of their show “Tourist Sauce” with a new promo, it provoked a strong response from “the voice of golf,” former Golf Channel and PGA Tour host, writer, and producer, Peter Kessler. (Kessler responded to Green Jacket Auctions, who praised NLU’s work).

That was certainly one of the worst things ever presented. 5th graders could do considerably better. It isn’t anything…at all.

Kessler, no stranger to speaking his mind, then spent hours feuding with fellow social media users who defended No Laying Up’s promo. As is often the case in the world of social media, the arguments descended into personal insults, on which Kessler did not hold back.

Consider these tweets representative of dozens more in the same vein.

How’s the desk job working out? When they let you flip burgers soon, the big bucks start rolling in. Send a pic when you get the white hat. Thanks.

Although Kessler was firmly in attack mode, he had to be on his guard when @ProV1_iron took aim at his Perfect Club infomercials from back in the day. The spots are largely a humorous relic in the golfing world, but Kessler was having none of the “people in glass houses” analogy.

Well, we did sell a third of a million with no returns. How did your spot do?

The responses from Kessler went on and on, and many had been expecting the ex-Golf Channel host cool off after yesterday’s exploits. However, the opposite happened, with Kessler getting right back in the saddle this morning and continuing his tirade against defenders of the show, with Kessler claiming NLU’s promo “is like intro to entertainment in 9th grade and school just started. Surely you’ve seen good movies and tv shows. These aren’t them.”

Despite saying that he has “Gotta run,” Kessler remains locked in a battle of personal insults with other social media users.

What do you make of Peter Kessler’s social media outburst, GolfWRX members?

Which Air Jordan model should Nike release as a golf shoe next?

According to GolfMagic, Nike’s Air Jordan III golf shoe took off from the foul line and soared right out of stock.

Per the site: “Nike launched this new model back in February… but you’ll do very well to get your hands on either them right now as they have sold out on Nike’s website. However, a Nike spokesperson has since commented saying “more is on the way.”

Grammar aside, this is interesting.

Now, it wasn’t long ago that all golf shoes looked like this.

And with all due respect to the Etonic Dri-Lite of yore, and giving wide berth to the traditionalists in the golf footwear space, the transition to sneaker-style golf shoes is cool, isn’t it? I mean, even if you’re monumentally swagger impaired like myself and could never pull the “Js on the fairways” look off, it’s intriguing, no?

With that in mind, and recognizing the demand for the 3s, I thought it’d be interesting to consider what the next Jordan golf shoe ought to be.

Here are my finalists for the next wide release (yes, I know Nike made Ray Allen custom 11s and MJ has had a few customs). Many of these are new colorways of classic (OG) models. I’ve tried for a range of styles and picks from across the Jordan timeline. Images via the excellent catalogue on the Jordan website.

Looks like Tiger is exploring some innovative solutions to his putting woes…

Tiger Woods was 39th in strokes gained: putting in 2018. Historically an excellent putter, Woods was hot-and-cold with the flatstick, even benching his soulmate Scotty Cameron Newport 2.

It looks like Woods may have an ace in the hole for the upcoming season, however, with respect to his green reading and putt sinking. Check out this video posted to his Instagram from the Tiger Woods Invitational on the Monterey Peninsula earlier this week.

Good thing the USGA is restricting the use of green-reading devices and technologies, because this kid looks close to cracking the eternal mystery of the perfect marriage of line and speed for every putt.

Cool stuff, though, isn’t it? It’s also cool to see Tiger so genuinely excited about his “mentee.”

We all know the story of how, after September 11, Woods re-evaluated his charitable endeavors and began to conceive of the Tiger Woods Learning Center. He’s spoken passionately about the students who have made their way through the various programs in the past, and there’s no doubt he cares deeply about the TGR Foundation’s efforts, but seeing a thin slice of that reality is awesome.